Samsung forecasts 25 million smart TV sales

Mike Luttrell, 9th February 2012

Samsung is expecting a very bullish year for smart TV in 2012, with 25 million unit sales expected.

When you consider that the company's goal for its entire flat-panel TV sector is 50 million units, that is a pretty bold prediction. Half of Samsung's TV sales in 2012 are likely to be smart TVs.

"Smart TV" is defined as a TV that connects to the Internet to allow users to access online content and download apps. It is widely seen as the next big thing for the TV industry.

Since the HDTV revolution, the industry has been trying to find the next trend. In 2009, two big advancements emerged - 3D and smart TV. Due to conflicting technological formats and consumers unwilling to wear 3D glasses, the 3D TV revolution never really happened.

But smart TVs are making a big splash. Samsung has been a pioneer in this market, being one of the first to essentially build its own proprietary operating system into TV sets. The Samsung OS allows users to browse for apps, video games, and widgets, and download them to the TV's hard drive.

This makes it possible for users to watch content from Hulu, Netflix, Youtube, and other sources directly from the TV without the need for a set-top box or a computer connection. In the future, smart TVs will also incorporate voice commands, making it possible to change the channel or access other content by simply talking to the TV.